THE DEVILS ALSO BELIEVE, AND TREMBLE

By Pastor Mike Taylor

19 “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19)

"The United States was founded upon Christian principles". I have heard that said many times in my 65+ years on this earth and have to agree in part. It is true that we were founded on principles of Judeo-Christian traditions found in our bibles. But in the past 200 plus years of this nation’s existence and rise to be the lone super-power in the world, can we still say that? I recall the past “POTUS” the “usurper in chief” proclaiming that we are no longer a Christian nation, but a mixture of all religions, with Islam a major contributor? OH, Really?? I looked up what percentage of the American people identify with the Christian religion, or claim to believe in a higher power than ourselves.

When I did an online search of Christianity in America, I find these results via Wikipedia:
“Religion in the United States is characterized by both a wide diversity in religious beliefs and practices, and by a high adherence level. According to recent surveys, 83 percent of Americans claim to belong to a religious denomination, 40 percent claim to attend services nearly every week or more, and 58 percent claim to pray at least weekly. A majority of Americans report that religion plays a "very important" role in their lives, a proportion unusual among developed nations.”

That’s impressive on the surface, but I would like to dissect what it means to be a Christian. Are we still a Christian country, or has that changed? By the statistics, it appears that many attend a local church, some regularly, but does that identify what a Christian is? Many belong to that church, but does that identify who is Christian and who is not? What about tithing, or prayer, and how about reading the Words of God found in their bibles? How many put into practice what the words found in your bible say into their daily lives? Do these same folks put in an hour on Sunday because it’s fashionable and then depart to do whatever it is they wish to be doing for the rest of the week? In other words, they give an obligatory hour of being present before God, once a week. What do they do the other 6 twenty four hour periods, or for that matter, the rest of the day on Sunday? Or are they members of a modern “social club”?
FALSELY BELIEVING IN AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHURCH

Many people feel that if they attend services on Sunday, (some rarely, if ever) except on Easter or Christmas, or give a few bucks into the offering plate, or be a good person, then they are right with God, or their definition of God. But during the time that they are in front of the rest of the world, they exhibit none of the fruits of the Spirit. Paul speaks of this in Romans shows fruit as a product in both a bad and good sense:

"What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness and the end, everlasting life."(Romans 6:21-22)

What is that fruit Paul speaks of?

5:22  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."(Galatians 5:22-25)

As a plum tree produces plums and not some other crop like hedge apples, these are the fruits that come from the true Christian that believes in their heart. Those that are playing the Christian role in name only, they produce maybe the aforementioned hedge apples, not of plums and the fruits of the spirit, but instead the fruits of the flesh.  Then all the while they are professing a different Jesus Christ, not the One of the bible. They believe they are saved. Are they?

5:19  "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."(Galatians 5:19-21)

As a people, on either side of this equation of good and bad fruit, do we battle these? If you live in this world, you bet you do. But the glory of the Christian who has faith and relies on the Holy Spirit for strength and comfort, they are the ones who persevere and in the end, will win. For the truly called out Christian, plunged beneath the blood of Calvary is “BORN TO WIN” for the glory of God the Father.

Some would have you believe that being a Christian is an emotional experience. You are told about Jesus Christ and express elation that you understand that Jesus Christ is the  Son of  God. You get excited, express joy and forget about it all in a few days. Is that all there is to being a Christian? I get pretty excited when the the Missouri Tigers win an invitation to the SEC championships to play against the opposing team,  and it truly is emotional and exciting, but that knowledge does not save me. Head knowledge of Jesus Christ or the Missouri Tigers at Columbia being a good football team will last only a short while in this day and age. Let me explain.

There is a difference between believing with your head, (your brain) and believing with your heart, (internalizing His sacrifice on the cross). And how do we internalize that we have believed in the Only Begotten Son of God? A brother of mine, proposed on our forum, “Church of the Living God”, what do you say to the  young child who accepts Jesus in their mind, by repeating the sinner’s  prayer and then falls back into the worldly living as an adult? Are they still saved?  What do you say to someone who has made a profession of believing Jesus is God, but lives an ungodly life, thereafter?  James said it best in James chapter 2:

2:14 " What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"(James 2:14-20)
GRACE VS. WORKS

Let me make one thing perfectly clear to all who have read thus far. Works by themselves will not save you. This is not one thing you can do in this life by keeping every aspect of the Law of God, although imperfectly,  and think you are saved. Let’s look at what Paul said in Ephesians:

2:8 " For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast."(Ephesians 2:8-9)

A lot of Christians, and I hope you’re not one of them, stop right there and say, see, all you need is Jesus. Truer words were ever spoken, but what do the next verses say?

2:10  "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."(Ephesians 2:10-13)

JESUS BROKE DOWN ALL WALLS

In Old Testament times, there was a wall separating the Jews from the Gentiles in the Temple courtyard, but now Jesus has broken down that wall that all may come to Him. We are His workmanship and we have been bought with a price, namely His blood and broken body. As anyone that comes into an exclusive club will tell you, there are certain requirements of entering into that club. This is an exclusive organism, called the Kingdom of God and has its requirements of entering in. But in coming to Him, He has a high expectation of what you are in this life, and what you will become. And what is that?
OUR INHERITANCE

When  Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, he asked the same questions that I ask you. How can a person be born again?

3:3  "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
3:4  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
3:8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."(John 3:3-8)

What was Jesus saying here? It appears almost in conflict until you understand the message that Jesus was conveying here. There is an old saying in Christian circles that you must be “born again.” So true it is. Being born of the water and of the Spirit, there are different interpretations, but what does this mean? In the first part, Jesus speaks of water. He is speaking of baptismal waters as He was also baptized. The act of being immersed into the water is a symbol of the grave. By doing so, in our hearts we are to understand that. We are buried with Jesus Christ and raised to newness of life, hence the term “born again” is applicable here, but it goes much further in it’s description that Jesus told Nicodemus. Paul explains this concept in Romans:

6:4 " Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin."(Romans 6:4-7)

We who have been immersed in baptismal waters, solely out of obedience to the command of Jesus Christ, is an act of total understanding and surrender to the power of God and leaving this sinful life we had behind us, as humanly possible. We follow a new Master, a new Teacher who showed us how to live a sinless life. It does not mean that we will never sin again, but the Power of God will make our sins less and less as we grow in faith and obedience to Him who first loved us.

What about the second part of what Jesus said in John 3? Born of the Spirit? As you are reading this message from scripture, can you walk into the Kingdom of God as you are, as a mortal? He says flesh cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. What is Jesus saying here? Let me let Paul explain it to you, as he is a better teacher than I. Again, let’s go to Ephesians:

1:7  "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,
1:14  Which is the earnest (translated deposit) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."(Ephesians 1:7-14)

We, as believers in Jesus Christ were given a deposit of that future inheritance. As a example, I envision it as a seed of God delivered to the womb of a mother, which grows into a fully developed baby ready to BE BORN. We are now, as children of God growing in the womb of God’s Heavenly Jerusalem that awaits our full adoption upon our birth into the Kingdom of God. When will this happen? When Jesus calls us out of our graves, or changes us in the twinkling of an eye, then we will be changed into spiritual beings that come and go, much as the wind does in the trees. Reread Jesus explanation to Nicodemus. Ponder that for a moment and turn with me to 1 John 3:

3:2 " Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."(1^st John 3:2-3)


Jesus gave us the perfect example of what it is to be called a Christian. What example was that? His life was the example. From explaining what it meant in His Sermon on the  Mount of the intent of the Law He wrote with His own finger on Mt. Sinai, to the acts of love and mercy to all His fellow men, to teachings of righteous living based on His own life and the intent of His commandments in their spiritual application. Jesus kept the Law that He wrote perfectly all of His years on earth, but God in His infinite wisdom knew that man could not. So God became a man born of woman, fully man, and fully God to do what man could not….save himself. God in the form of Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice of His death on a cross and the emptying of the blood from His body on the altar of sacrifice.:

3:16  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."(John 3:16-18)

But remember what I said in the beginning of this message?. Even the demons believe that Jesus is God, but they are not saved or saints. Head knowledge must be heart knowledge. This is where the seed is planted. The Spirit of God mingles with your own. It is not implanted in your head that a person forgets in a few days and the excitement wears off. No, reader it begins in your spiritual heart. It’s the first day of the rest of your eternal life and you become a new creature. As Paul wrote by Holy Spirit inspiration of in 2^nd Corinthians :

5:18  "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."(2^nd Corinthians 5:18-20)

Then if reconciled to God, we have a job to do, out of sheer obedience as Paul speaks of in Ephesians:

4:25  "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
4:26  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
4:27  Neither give place to the devil.
4:28  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
4:29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."(Ephesians 4:25-32)

NOW LET US RETURN TO AMERICA

Now that we have given a summary of what a Christian is, what we should be doing, and what the future is in store for those truly "born again", let’s return to the 83% of American citizens that call themselves “Christians.” Look around this nation. Does the landscape look like we are a Christian nation? Is the “old time religion” still reigning in our land, namely Jesus Christ and Him crucified? Do the principles that made this country great still exist? Nobody wants to take responsibility for what is going on in this country and in the majority, it may well be so. You can make a difference in your own life and reach out to others to help them find out what a Christian really is. Ask yourself these further questions, do you fit the definition of the negative side of this equation, of what is a Christian in name only? Do you stand in the light of a true Christian, washed in the blood of the Lamb working hard to be obedient to the One who gave you eternal life?

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the trappings of organized religion will do anything for your spiritual condition, just by belonging to organized religion or the latest emotional false prophet or pied piper who leads away men and women to their destruction by following their false doctrines. You can’t buy your way into heaven, you can’t be good enough, and you can’t rely on anyone, but yourself and the answering the conviction given by the Holy Spirit:

6:44  "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
6:45  It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."(John 6:44-45)

Paul reinforced this in Philippians:

2:12  "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."(Philippians 2:12)

You just might be part of that skewed statistic that tells you, hey, I’m alright. I said the “sinner’s prayer" and all will be well. Just because I live in America and “Hey, this is a godly nation”. Really?

Many are beginning to believe that it is just not so and the nation that became the superpower in this world is destined, in my humble opinion, for a very hard fall. Many are beginning to worry about revolution in this country, as they look at what the last “president” led this nation to and wanting us to be a One World Government and do away with our sovereignty. Not to mention NSA wiretappings, predator drones, and laws designed to take away your God given rights of free speech, assembly, and to bear arms. Can you see this nation becoming so caught up in its anger at our former way of life and capitalism that made this country grow rich beyond our wildest dreams and wish to pitch it out the window, because of evil bankers and wall street lobbyist? OH, I know I can...I'll bet you can, too. I’ve even read comments of how the beginning of the Russian revolution started, and worse, the bloody French Revolution that spared almost no one.  Heaven help us, but the winds of unrest are brewing. All it will take is for evil to be unfettered by the removal of the good in this country. Only thing that is keeping a lid on this brewing pot of sinful lust are true Christians (I quantify that by meaning true, born again, washed in the blood Christians) still present on this earth. What will be the result when even that hindrance is removed? I speak of God's people who actually believe with their heart and have God's Holy Spirit residing within them.

2:7  "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."(2^nd Thessalonians 2:7-10)

When He, (speaking of the Holy Spirit), that letteth will let, until HE be taken out of the way, is the only thing that is keeping the lid on the brewing kettle of sin and debauchery being God Himself and the presence of His Spirit in His people. When that hindrance is removed, it won’t be the 83% that professes their recipe of being a “luke-warm Christian”in name only, that will be taken. No, my friend, I fear that number will be much, much smaller. I fear it will be but a remnant of those who truly profess Jesus Christ and believe in their hearts and live like He’s coming today or tomorrow. If Jesus would come on any Sunday morning, I envision half of the congregation being left behind, as they have only been warming a pew for most of their lives.

WHAT ABOUT YOU ???

Will you be caught in the snare of an evil generation that lives only for pleasure? Will you delude yourself to think that the statistics listed in the first part of this message makes you ready to meet Almighty God? Will you be deluded to think that you once said the “sinner’s prayer" as a child and all is good, even though you live like the devil? Only the things of God will stand. Everything else will be burned up by fire. There is a time coming when Satan will cover this earth with his forces of demon spirits to unleash his anger for he has been thrown from the halls of heaven. In other words, the devil has come down to Georgia, and the devil must be paid. He wants your life, he wants your soul, and he wants you to spend eternity with him……………..in torment:

12:7  "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
12:8  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
12:11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12:12  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."(Revelation 12:7-12)

Whoever belonged to Jesus Christ will be with Him for all eternity and the hordes of demons commanded by Satan will destroy all who remain if allowed. If you are of the number who rely on your church, your priest, your shaman, or God forbid yourself , or anything else besides a true relationship with Jesus Christ and cannot wholeheartedly embrace the description of a believer, A TRUE BELIEVER,  in Jesus Christ, then get ready for a sudden thrust into an environment that beckons to the fires of Hell on earth. Because my friend, in all honesty, it ain’t head knowledge that will save you, but heart knowledge.
PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD



This is Pastor Mike Taylor praying for your salvation and God’s mercy on your life. If there is anything I can pray with you about, counsel you on, or share scripture of God’s plan for man, then drop me a line at my new email address, pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com,  or for more biblical instructions to prepare you for the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ visit my blog at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com,. God bless you all,

till we meet at Jesus Feet.

TILL THE FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES COME IN

By pastor Mike Taylor

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." (Romans 11:25)

As the times, and the clouds of end of Age grow and become dark and more ominous, people wonder if the Tribulation has already begun. Emails sent to me discuss  the coming Tribulation and their views.  With so many different variations of men’s beliefs and interpretations, based on the curious minds of human beings that “want to know”, as all variations can’t be true, there is only one truth.  To understand the truth of God’s Word and know why it is what we believe, and why we believe it, I have encouraged people to not believe any tradition, denomination, or their favorite preacher or evangelist in church or on TV’s Christian based programs, but to believe their bible. It is a tendency for men to take a passage of scripture and try to line it up with current events, much like a newspaper reporter, and make a doctrinal thesis on that investigation. Now, I don’t believe God has a problem with men being curious and investigating what God’s Word means, as if they rely on the Holy Spirit to lead them, they will come to the knowledge of the Truth. He uses that time to make the belief of the Truth more solid within their spirit and in their minds.

So it has been as some question the following: “are we approaching the 6th seal judgment and 5 seals have already been opened?”  They postulate that is it possible that with the wars, famine, pestilence of old diseases coming back and new ones being formed, and the mess the world is in today, are those seal judgments being fulfilled right now as we speak? Are they? I look to the whole of God’s Word, not just one passage to deny their premise. We are not in the middle of the tribulation and here is why.

Dispensationalism, God dealing with Israel and the Church Separately.

What I feel  my brothers and sisters in Christ fail to recognize is that God is dealing with men as a plan of redemption by working with men in dispensations, called Dispensationalism.  What is Dispensationalism?  The short definition and you can find a full explanation in places such as Wikipedia or Google it, but Dispensationalism is an approach to biblical interpretation which states that God uses different means of working with people (Israel and the Church) during different periods of history, usually seven chronologically successive periods.  However, dispensational division of history varies among its adherents from three periods, to four, seven, and even eight dispensations.  For brevity, I’m going to cut that down a bit, as God has worked with two sets of people for nigh 4000 years, the nation of Israel and His body, His Bride, the Church.
From the Beginning...short version

From the time that God made Adam and Eve and their subsequent fall from grace, God has dealt with created mankind known as the Nations. Everyone knows the history from there to Noah, and beyond Noah and the flood until He called out a man called Abraham and made an everlasting covenant with him and his descendants. The nation of Israel was God’s focus to be a Holy Nation, a kingdom of priest until the coming of their Messiah and a fulfillment of righteousness. But as men are imperfect, Israel transgressed God’s law (given to Moses) and fell into idolatry, until God sent them into captivity to Babylon. There God made a promise to the prophet Daniel :

9:24  "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
9:25  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times." (Daniel 9:24-25)

The ark angel, Gabriel, as a messenger of God came to Daniel and told him what the future would hold for the nation of Israel. From the time of their captivity, as Gabriel spoke, there would be 490 years that would bring Israel to behold their Messiah and the Kingdom Age offered, thus righteousness restored and the end of transgressions against God's law. This promise was given to Israel and no one else of humanity. History shows that exactly 483 years transpired when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a foal of a donkey and the people proclaimed Him their Messiah King crying “Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

Within just a few short days, Jesus would be falsely charged with religious crimes, tried in a kangeroo court, and sentenced to death on a cross. At that moment when Jesus died that clock of that dispensation stopped. After His resurrection, Jesus would be with them 40 days and tell them to tarry in Jerusalem and the Comforter would come, God's Holy Spirit. The Feast of Pentecost, 10 days later,  is where the Church was born, and God’s focus turned to building His church, to take a people who were not His people of the nations, the Gentiles and a few believing Jews, and build the Body of Christ. He has been doing that now, for near 2000 years. But in the Age of Grace that we are in is fast approaching completion, God still has made a promise to Israel for a complete 70 weeks, or 490 years to complete and make an end to transgressions. God does not change and He does not go back on His Word.

WHEN THE RAPTURE?

As we approach the coming end of the Age of Grace, and the Tribulation draws closer to beginning, the matter of God focusing on His church will abruptly stop and His Bride will be removed. That will leave the final seven years promised to Israel to be carried out. Understand one thing, my reader, God has never focused on Israel and the Church at the same time. When His work is complete and that last soul is safely aboard the ark of salvation, known as Jesus Christ, that ark will leave port of this earth, and we will forever be with the Lord Jesus....Then and only then, will God turn His focus back to Israel. To include the church in the first half, or any part of the first 3.5 years is to change the way God has been dealing with the redemption of mankind in dispensations and is not what God promised to Israel. Further understand, that the coming Tribulation is designed for 2 things, and 2 things only and that is, God will refine Israel as silver is refined in the furnace until purified, and to destroy completely, all rebellion against His Holy Name, and His Son, Jesus Christ.


God has previously worked with Israel solely, or with the church exclusively, but NEVER at the same time. When the first seal is broken in Chapter 6, God the Son begins to open the title deed to what He has bought with His own precious blood, redemption of the earth and His creation of mankind. Some try to state that the first 5 seals are the wrath of man and  Satan, and the  that God’s Wrath does not start until the 6th seal. But notice that it is God that is causing these events to come to pass by each seal He opens. It is not man or Satan who is causing these events, but Jesus, the Son of God Himself. It is the beginning of His righteous wrath upon a rebellious human kind against His laws, and against His only payment for that rebellion, Jesus Christ. The doctrine is completely pre-tribulation in it’s view and the ONLY one that makes sense, as we will see as we go along.

ISRAEL AND THE COMING TRIBULATION


Of all the books of the Bible, Revelation gives the Christian the most problems with it's symbols, word pictures, and prophetic message of the time we are fast approaching. One must divide the books into two distinct populations. I believe that God is speaking of the Church at the beginning of the book, and then makes a dramatic shift of focus to the rebellious Gentile nations and the nation of Israel. I see a common thread that flows through the whole of Revelation and that is, God putting down all rebellion during this period of 7 years and the refining of Israel and making her ready to accept her Messiah, at long last.

After chapter 4, the churches and the those redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ during the Age of Grace, are not mentioned again till chapter 19, not one time. Suddenly, the focus is turned to judgment of a world devoid of God and violating willfully His commandments. Then in chapter 7, God by His Holy Spirit reveals to John the main characters of this book. Let us take a look at a common thread that follows in the coming chapters that point to only one set of people....the nation of Israel.

144,000 EVANGELIST ORDAINED BY GOD

In chapter 7, God names the tribes of Israel that are symbolically 12,000 coming from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. In the bible, numbers are used as signs of perfection. Three is the sign of Divine perfection, seven is spiritual perfection, ten is the sign of ordinal perfection, and the number 12 is the sign of government perfection and is used throughout the bible as that sign of perfection. The number 144,000 from 12 tribes is 12x12 or 144 and thousand is given as a great number. Will it be just 144,000 when Israel and the scattered Jewish people amount to approximately 13 million people? I think that the symbolism points to Israel a nation as a whole. This symbolism is carried out numerous times within your bible, to emphasize that the focus of this book is on Israel. Apart from Israel, the rest of the nations are in divine judgment and we read horrific descriptions of the devastation brought on by this Divine wrath. Notice in the latter parts of chapter 7, we  see a vast number of saints innumerable standing before the throne of God.

9 “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:9-17)

John is introduced to the nation of Israel and the evangelist that were being sealed with the seal of God, 12,000 from each of the twelves tribes. He then sees a great multitude that are standing in white robes and “palm fronds” in their hands. They speak different languages and come from all portions of the earth. These are the martyred saints of God from all the people of Israel or of Jewish birth, that have believed in their Messiah through these seven terrible years, called the Tribulation. As I have identified in past sermons, palms in the hands of these saints are a sign noted of Israel exclusively. Not the church, but saints of God, Tribulation saints, nonetheless.

But also notice that they will serve in the Temple of God, night and day, and He that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They are not kings and priests unto God as noted in chapter 4 and the 24 elders pictured as the glorified Church saints are, but are to serve God in His temple unlike what John then writes in chapter 5 about the church saints ruling and reigning on the earth,

5:9  "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."(Revelation 5:9-10)

Notice the difference?

But let’s us jump to Revelation, chapter 14, where this same group of people are examined again and John describes them.

14:1  "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth." (Revelation 14:1-3)

Only these people can sing this song. They are the tribulation saints, the nation of Israel who have embraced their Messiah at long last and have died for that belief, much like the 12 apostles before them. They died preaching the Gospel to all who would listen. The church cannot sing this song, as we are not Israel. We are not of the 144,000 saints as a symbol of the martyred nation of Israel. Some will say, in error I might add, that we are Israel. That is Replacement Theology and Israel has never been cast away. God has not replaced Israel, just set them aside, as noted in the opening verses of this  message, till this time in history to turn His attention to them solely, as the church has been completed. God has promised that He would save ALL of Israel, not losing one!


10:15  "Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
10:16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
10:17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."(Hebrews 10:15-17)


Again in Romans a sole promise to Israel,

11:25  "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
11:28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sake."(Romans 11:25-28) (the promise God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.)

Returning to Revelation:

14:4  "These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.
14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."(Revelation 14:4-5)

Some say, ahah, see? It says being first fruits to God and to the Lamb. It can't mean that we arrived prior to them, as they came as first fruits. What they fail to understand, is that I believe and there is good evidence to support this, that God works in  what I proposed at the beginning of this message, in dispensations. Jesus was the beginning of the “First Fruits” unto God and those “born of the dead” and these saints are included in that number. The church age has ended 7 years before. This is the time of Jacob's trouble and God turning His focus on Israel, as the time of the Gentiles has ended...We are the Gentiles that have been saved out of the earth. We are a people that were not His people, but because of Israel's unbelief and rejection of their Messiah, the Kingdom was given to another. We are the people of the Kingdom of God, or the children of the living God, as spoken of in Matthew,

21:42  "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
21:43  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."(Matthew 21:42-43)

Paul makes a startling statement by the power of the Holy Spirit in Romans,

9:24  "Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
9:25  As he saith also in Osee, (Hosea), I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
9:26  And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God."(Romans 9:24-26)

We are the first fruits at the coming of the Lord for the Gentile Age, or the age of the Church, a dispensation also called the Age of Grace. When these who stand on Mt. Sion are considered first fruits of the Trials of Jacob, also known as Jacob's troubles and will be called Tribulation Saints. This is re-emphasized in chapter 15 in the following:

15:2  "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints."(Revelation 15:2-3)

Now this is not to say that some besides only Jewish people will heed the call of the 144,000 evangelist, but the likelihood of that fact grows smaller and less likely, as the focus is on Israel, not on the Gentile nations.

THE CHURCH RETURNS WITH OUR LORD IN VICTORY

As we progress into the prophecy and the events that will destroy 3/4 of all mankind by divine wrath, we come near to the end of God's judgment and John's vision of the marriage supper of the Lamb and the revealing of the bride of Christ. Until this time, the church and it's saints have not been mentioned, not one time since beginning chapter 6. Here John writes so of the bride by these words:

19:7  "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."(Revelation 19:7-9)


Then at the culmination of the great feast in Heaven, where the bride is presented in linen white and clean, one final judgment is still in need of fulfillment. We, His chosen bride, and saints of the most High, come back to earth with our Husband, our King, our God which comes in full war cry and as a roaring Lion of Judah to avenge the earth for treatment of His people and the squelch the rebellion on earth. 

11 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

(Revelation 19:11-15).


Almighty God, our Savior and King, will make short work of rebellion on this earth of the final battle called Armegeddon. Why is His vesture dipped in blood? It is not His blood, but the blood of those He has slain in divine wrath for the last 7 years is what I believe. Here He will finish the slaying of unrepentant, lawless mankind till blood rises to the bridles of the horses they ride in a valley that is two hundred miles miles long by 5 miles wide. This is His final coming to rule and reign with a rod of iron. He will rescue His people Israel that have endured to the end.

Thus ends the Wrath of God when Jesus takes total control of this earth, and sets up His Millennial Kingdom to last for the next 1000 years, and a Sabbath rest  imposed for Satan and his evil and a rest for the earth.

Then all of Israel will be reconciled unto their King and Lord, Savior and Almighty God.

Thus says the Lord GOD: "Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God. . . . Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore." (Ezekiel 37:21-23)

TRIBULATION LOOMS ON THE HORIZON

Tribulation for Israel has ended. Jesus made a promise to Israel to loose not one, but save them all. If you are reading this, can you say the same? If you be Gentile, meaning not of Jewish heritage or birth, have you the same promise? No, you do not. The end of a dispensation of the church comes quickly. Tribulation is at our doorsteps. Jesus is right now still at the door knocking waiting for those who hear to open the door to His call. When that final call comes out, and He proclaims, “Come up here”, then time for the church will have stopped as we have entered eternity. Won't you join us? When Tribulation comes in earnest that makes these hard times pale in comparison, then hope of an eternal reward in Heaven to be with our Lord and Savior becomes less and less likely. I want to repeat this fact. Tribulation is designed to do two things, and two things only. That is to purify Israel to prepare them for their coming Messiah, and to destroy all aspects of lawlessness and rebellion of a sinful Gentile nation. Tribulation is coming, and the times are dark, but the coming time, is a time beyond any of  our imaginations when God said that with His full wrath unleashed, that if it were not stopped, NO MAN would survive, but for the elect, it will be stopped short of total annihilation. The Church is NOT part of this wrath.

5:9  "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." (1st Thessalonians 5:9-11)

Or when Jesus spoke:
21:36  "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke chapter 21)

Will you be in that number, the ones destroyed for eternity and thrown into a Lake of Fire burning with brimstone and sulfur? Don't let that happen. Make that decision for Jesus Christ to come into your life right now. Pray the Holy Spirit to guide you into believing on the Name that is above every name, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. The Tribulation hour is coming, as the salvation clock is seconds before Midnight and the end of the age, the Age of Grace will end. Wrath is coming.

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)

Jesus is the ONLY Way to being taken before the Tribulation starts. There is not other way, and the above verses are the microcosm of the point of the whole Bible, and Paul speaks of confession leading to salvation...

8 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-13)

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life, and was raised from the dead, before the “the last of the Gentiles be come in”.

This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying God's salvation come into you life today. If there be any need for prayer, counseling or just a listening ear, email me today at pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com,  God bless you all,

till we meet at Jesus Feet.

ALIEN INVASION?

By Pastor Mike Taylor

https://images.app.goo.gl/qHdSu9wrWjp4ZVuK9


“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”( II Thessalonians 2:9-12)

“Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. . . .  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:6-11, 15-17)


In times past,  I wrote of the coming of a One World Religion that may be headed up by none other than the Roman Catholic Church and it’s pope. Based on their history and their continued efforts through organization such as the Jesuits (Society of Jesus), and co-conspirators such as Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, and the emerging church, they are introducing mysticism into church practices and official doctrine. I want you to read an article entitled “The Jesuit Agenda and the Evangelical/Protestant Church”

http://www.understandthetimes.org/mobile/commentary/c97new.html

(copy and paste in Google if link does not work), . In the article it mentions about the goal of the Emerging Church with the likes of Rick Warren and his cohorts promoting a returning of the brethren to the “mother church”. Quote:
“Rick Warren has been one of the many pied pipers of this move to unite through “good works.” Called “America’s pastor,” Warren has become the evangelical/Protestant spokesperson for a one-world religion. His Purpose Driven model has become the battle cry for let just all get along and do good. We can work together as one for one common purpose – peace in the world.” From the article above. It all is designed to set up what I wish to talk about in this sermon.
ALIEN INVASION?

But moving on to the focus of this message, what is the one ingredient that would immediately unite the world into the goal of a One World Government and a One World Religion? It’s a possible scenario even beyond our economic woes and the devaluation of the dollar, or calls for unity of all nations, as there are so many differences in each sovereign nation. What if a world population believed that their very survival was at stake, or that the world, as we know it, was about to abruptly end with violence and untold suffering? What  would convince a undiscerning population to follow one man, one government, one religion to give them a sense of calm and reinforce their continued sinful lifestyle?



As far back as 1987, after a meeting with Russian president Gorbachev, President Ronald Reagan spoke of the one thing that would unite the world as one and put all our petty differences aside. President Reagan said, speaking of himself and Gorbachev::
“how easy his task and mine might be in these meetings that we held if suddenly there was a threat to this world from some other species from another planet outside in the universe. We’d forget all the little local differences that we have between our countries …
”And later in another speech, Reagan remarks were along the same line:
“in our obsession with antagonisms of the moment, we often forget how much unites all the members of humanity. Perhaps we need some outside, universal threat to make us recognize this common bond.”


I believe he spoke in ignorance of that simple truth, for it he had known, then that would make him a prophet, if the following scenario became fact.

Suppose that the  population of the world truly believed and were falsely led to believe that an “invasion from another world” had taken place and that this world, this planet was in danger of annihilation?  I believe that is the one thing that would instantly unite this world of sinful men to stand against outside forces from invading our world. With the coming environmental attacks against this planet that have already started picks up speed, many will believe anything.
THE WORLD BEING SET UP.

If you are middle aged, you can recall back in the 70s, a little movie called “E.T.”. Cute little movie with a cute little being from outer space that only wanted to “phone home.” Since that movie the interest in things beyond our world has escalated into greater and greater interest in all things extraterrestrial. The movie industry has exploded with plots that speak of either friendly, or not so friendly visitors from another planet. Movies such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1976),  Critters,(1986),  Signs (2002), Predator series, (starting in 1987), War of the Worlds, (2005), Independence Day, (1996), and Fallen Angels (2007) but to name just a few that Hollywood has made to cash in on the tremendous preoccupation with all things “outer space.” I believe the world has been following the lead of the prince of lies to set up just such a scenario that may be coming in the near future as a lie to the people of earth.



Let's face it - extra terrestrials scare the pants off most of us. These films don't typically portray our little outer space invaders as cute E.T. like creatures. In fact, most films portray them as how they are truly are thought of - evil, murdering, blood-sucking, and anxious to steal and destroy our beautiful earth and it’s environment.


I propose a question, what would happen if the world suddenly realized “in the twinkling of an eye” that millions of people suddenly vanished from off the face of the earth? What would the immediate result be with such a scenario? Would there be utter chaos? Most assuredly people would be confused and scared to death. People have hypothesized the calamity that would befall this world in untold carnage. I write this as you might be reading this on a Christian web-site, as this coming scenario actually happened, and you are looking for answers. It is to you, that I write this. In all your wide eyed astonishment of something totally without explanation in any logical sense, you have been shaken to very core of your being.



Given the modern age of machines that we live in, and operators of these machines were suddenly gone, the untold accidents around the world would cram the TV sets, the internet, and radio for months and months. People would try and make sense of what had just happened. What would be the accepted explanation? Shall I propose something so outlandish, that if it happened, a light bulb would go off in your head?


AGE OF AQUARIUS?

Remember the song by the “Fifth Dimensions” called the “Age of Aquarius”? Was a catchy little tune, but was at the beginning of the New Age idea of a new world coming. Many of these New Agers believe that man must evolve into a higher consciousness, or be transformed into a new creature to live for eternity, by methods such as tran-humanism, or being downloaded into a master super computer. (weird!) Man searches for the “fountain of youth” and to live forever. They forget God and reject the Creator, and instead make themselves a god unto their own likeness. They have no need for a god, or think they do not, but rely only on themselves, calling themselves “humanist” or the worshiping of mankind.

Man has been trying to deny the need for God Almighty, through the deceit and lies of the “prince of all lies” Satan the devil for thousands of years. In modern times with all our technology, with all our modern conveniences, and with science and discovery expanded at a breathtaking pace of doubling of knowledge every couple of years, the modern world has grown more and more wicked and further and further from God. Celebrity entertainers (for lack of a better description) such as Lady GaGaor Miley Cyrus promote a hedonistic lifestyle where anything goes. The old saying, “if it feels good, do it” could not be any truer that it is today.



Singers like this Lady GaGa revel in their sins. I saw where she came in to a concert encased in a large egg, that led some people to postulate that she was promoting a new beginning for all of the world’s people to revel in their lust and sexual desires. And she never fails to amaze me to the level of her depravity and now we have Miley Cyrus “Hannah Montana" wanting to share the passing torch of this woman’s abomination of indecency..Her dad must be proud. These celebrities live for the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Some people love the world and could care less about what it is will happen to them for all eternity. They lust for the here and now.   The apostle John warned us through the leading of God when he penned:

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (I John 2:15-17)


Those who perish do so because they do not receive or welcome—the love of the truth. Because they do not, God will send them a strong delusion, so that they will believe the lie and be condemned. In reality, God is just giving them what they desire anyway. They prefer carnal delusion to spiritual reality, so God obliges them. The unrighteous in Romans  chapter 1 desire a world view without a Creator so they can be sexually liberated and do abomination in His sight. God gives them over to it and lets them reap the awful consequences.

21 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;” (Romans 1:21-28)

IN THE  POSSIBLE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, (Hypothetical) What if?

Suddenly, a News-flash comes over the Internet. Your radio is blaring out as emergency sirens go off all over your neighborhood. Emergency vehicles are rushing to accidents right in your area. You might wonder “What has happened?”. You turn on the TV and the horror of mass confusion fills the screen. Still another is sitting, uninterested listening to a preacher in church tell the same old story that they have heard many, many times, but “hey, it’s not for me.”. Suddenly, they hear something. Maybe it’s a loud clap of thunder, or was it a trumpet blast? They are not sure. It brings them back to reality, as they look around the seats of all the people that were in the pews are basically empty, except them, and a few others who look at them with sheer terror in their eyes. Suddenly, it dawns on them as they had heard it time and time again and never took it seriously. Their mother, or their father, maybe their son, daughter, or any friend that they knew is suddenly ……….GONE!! Vanished!! They were given no warning and they are left in utter terror. They MAY or may not realize with tears and sobs that they just missed the most important event in all of their lives, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to carry His chosen ones, His Father’s children to be with Him, forever and ever.  I Corinthians chapter 15:
15:51 “ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1^st Corinthians 15:51-53)


Wait a minute, you don’t believe that stuff or let’s say, did not, so there has to be a scientific explanation for this, right?  You rush home the best way you can and turn on  your TV for news of what has happened. A leader of the “free world” has come on to calm the nation. This future person takes a deep breath, as they realize, that at least the president is still here. (oh, that’s comforting). She/he speaks of reports of many missing people and that Homeland Security is on the scene of many areas of missing people. She/he calls for calm and calls in the National Guard, or what’s left of it, to put down looting and other criminal activity. She/he says stay tuned for further developments.

You switch channels and the report is interviewing a “Emergent Church” pastor that makes the statement that these people were removed from earth, as they stood in the way of man’s quest for a peaceful world and ushering in a New World order and unity of the faith. Without these “rabble rousers” maybe we can live in peace and security and focus on making this world the paradise we had envisioned and have “heaven on earth”. Other than that, he has no real explanation.

Switching channels, they find a serious looking gentleman that has just been elected to a New World body and is quite familiar to them. Seems he came out of nowhere. He might have been a unknown senator from Illinois, or may have been president for a while, but now he heads a World “Council on Human Development” headed by the United Nations. He hypothesizes and backs it up with so-called scientific information of monitoring sightings of unusual signs in the skies that have been being tracked for some years now.  He may speak of this “it is the opinion of this world body, that these missing people were the victims of an alien abduction. We have reports of saucer type spacecraft flying in various places. Please stay in your homes and do not answer to anyone without official documentation that they are from your local authorities.”

Obviously, this is conjecture, but I believe it is possible, in this scenario, that the event will be somehow explained away. Many people will grasp onto any explanation of what has just happened. How it  will be explained away, is for you that read this in your wide-eyed, sheer terror of the events that just went down all around you.

Know one thing, reader of these words, before the man of sin appears, Satan must lay some groundwork to prepare for his acceptance. What better way than to throw the world into quarreling and divisive and wearying confusion? Could the lie to calm the people be attributed to a “war from an invading race ” that is imminent.”? People then yearn for some strong and seemingly wise hands to set things straight, so the nations can "catch their breath" and have a span of peaceful calm. In its wake, confusion creates directionless people, with little desire to change the status quo, whose minds are turned in upon themselves in an attempt to keep what they have. They want to continue in their sinful lives and find answers to this event that has turned their world upside down.

Remember this verse:
“And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

(2^nd Thessalonians 2:11-12)

Get ready for what the Bible calls, the man of sin, the son of perdition, called the Anti-Christ who will eventually lead the world to worship him, as a god, and take the mark of his word in the forehead or their right hand.  I propose that the Anti-Christ could possibly could come from an Islamic country (or from the leader of the free world as proposed in past messages), as the people left will be ripe for falling in line with the two major religions that is left on earth that may merge into what I call “Chrislam”. All other rest of the sheeples will be convinced by a man who supports this new leader by claiming him to be what this world needs “a savior”. This man will be the false prophet. What better way to conquer the world, than two competing forces join together to bring all men into a One World Government and a One World Religion than the Anti-Christ being Islamic, and the false prophet being from an apostate “Christian” religion known as the Roman Catholic Church and headed by the false prophet, the Pope in Rome? They will join forces, although for a short while. The harlot church will lead the beast power to take over the remaining population, as both will compete against each other for political position, until one is destroyed according to the Word of God. That harlot church will be burned with fire.

“And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.”(Revelation 17:16)

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:” (Revelation 13:16)

“And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13:17)


This false Christ, this man of sin, will do amazing things in the sight of men, along with his false prophet, possibly “the pope in Rome.” Both will convince people of what their explanation of these missing people, as truth. They will convince sinful men that they have been invaded by another race of aliens that this earth must unite to do battle with and prevent the destruction of the human race. (Never let a crisis go to waste. Isn’t that what they said?) As this time in history grows darker and darker, and the blood of many souls are spilled for their profession of faith in the Lord of the universe and will not submit to a false “god” it will be their aim to stamp all rebellion to their authority “for the good of the planet.” I believe at the very end, this man of sin will convince a major army to come together to do battle with what many people will believe falsely through his deceit and lying wonders, a “war from another world” has taken place. He will bring them all into a valley of strategic military positions to fight against this alien species and while they are at it, rid themselves of the cancer on mankind, the nation of Israel. Why Israel? Because Satan has hated her from the very beginning, when he saw that the Messiah would come through her.

Maybe it will eventually dawn on some of them that this is not some alien attack, and some may realize that they are gathered to fight against God Himself, but too late to do anything about it, as it will be over in a flash.



Revelation 16:16  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.


Here our God and Savior, will make short work of this vast army who has come to fight. Will each and every person there believe that he is fighting an invading world for the good of this planet and the survival of the human species? Makes for interesting discussions and it very well could be so, as the lie that has been broadcast for the last 7 years has penetrated sinful men’s minds to believe and give allegiance to one man who they look to as their “god”. But Jesus will deliver the final blow to this rebellion against God Almighty.

You remember the statement when America invaded Iraq with “shock and awe”?  Jesus coming back to set up his kingdom and destroy all rebellion is the real SHOCK AND AWE. Not only is our Savior coming to reign and rule  with“shock and awe”, it will be the greatest destruction as you can ever have imagined it. The angel calls the birds to devour the flesh of all people, small and great. Our Creator comes back to wage a righteous war, one that has been brewing for 6,000 years due to man’s hostility and rebellion to God and the lies of the “god of this world” Satan, the devil. By the time this prophecy is fulfilled, God has had enough of sin.  Jesus Christ comes back and treads the winepress of His wrath, where the blood spilled comes up to the horse's bridles. It is hard to imagine blood four or six feet deep and flowing like a river in a 20 mile long valley. Revelation chapter 14, speaks of this valley outside Jerusalem,

“And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” (Revelation 14:20)

WHERE WILL BE YOU BE IN THIS TERRIBLE HOUR?


I write this to all who may be reading this commentary after the event of millions of people disappearing from this planet. We, who are prepared, need not fear, but be lifting up our heads, “because our redemption draweth night”. (Luke 21:28).  But to you who are frightened, confused, and searching for an explanation, you have read the possible reason, and you have read the possible lies that will be forthcoming after this event caught you off-guard. It doesn’t matter what the lie is being proposed, you have just been duped to believing in yourself and no need for God, by Lucifer, the prince of darkness, to  you own destruction. The next 7 years will be the most gruesome time in all of mankind’s history. Jesus said in
Matthew chapter 24:,

24:21 “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
24:22  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”


If you are reading this, and this disappearance of a billion + people has not yet happened, rest assured, God will do what He said He will do. All that I have tried to do is make as an imagery in your minds of the horror that is coming, the lies that will be spoken, the lying wonders designed to deceive you will be done according to what the Word of God says. If you are this side of the lies and this reported possible “war of the worlds” then there is still time to make Jesus the Lord of your life. If you wish to find out the true path to everlasting life, then I invite you to send me an email inquiring the path to take and instruction in true biblical faith in the only Savior of mankind. Remember one thing from here to the events I attempt to hypothesize...when this happens, a lie WILL be put out in the media to confuse you, to calm you, and yes, to lie to you.
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”(Matthew 7:13-14)



I beseech you, do not be the one who follows the broad way, as that is the way of the Anti-Christ and the coming tribulation, but enter by the way of the narrow path and the narrow gate to everlasting life. Do not believe whatever lie is thrown out for an explanation of a millions + people gone missing.  Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ while the time is still available before the Tribulation begins all its unspeakable horrors. That gate is Jesus Christ and His resurrection. Wish to find out more? Email me! Because if you are reading this and any scenario explaining the disappearance of so many people instantly, then my friend “Woe unto you.” The prophecies outlined in Revelation chapter 6-19 are at your very doorstep.

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”(John 3:16-18)

Fall on your knees and cry out to God and confess to those around you that Jesus is Lord of your life:

8” But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”(Romans 10:8-13)

This is Pastor Mike Taylor, wishing you God’s love in your life. If you wish to email me for biblical instruction, a need for prayer, or just to listen, send me an email request to realteam1999@sbcglobal.net, or visit me online for more biblical instructions at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com, God bless you,

till we meet at Jesus feet.